Tahera brings the stage adaptation of A Thousand Splendid Suns to Bengaluru

By Sravasti DattaTheatre personality and founder of Arena Theatre Productions, Tahera S believes lengthy plays continue to resonate with audiences despite an era of shortened attention spans and streaming entertainment. She has directed stage adaptations of classics such as To Kill a Mockingbird, Taramandal and The Seagull — all text-heavy productions that found their audience. Her latest production, a stage adaptation by Ursula Rani Sarma of A Thousand Splendid Suns, runs for two-and-a-half hours and features an ensemble cast of 30 members. “I don’t want the audience to rush through a play, but immerse themselves in a journey,” says Tahera.Tahera is often drawn to emotionally heavy narratives filled with pain and grief, but believes those elements are only one part of the story. “Most of the plays carry themes of faith and hope. Despite adversity, there is always hope — that’s the takeaway. The plays end on a positive note,” she says.She says she edits and adapts scripts to sustain audience engagement. “I like to keep the script crisp. It shouldn’t feel repetitive or caricaturish because maintaining the audience’s attention is important,” she shares. According to her, theatre acts as both a mirror to society and a cathartic experience for everyone. “I stage plays adapted from novels that people have already read and relate to. There’s something special about watching that story unfold live on stage before their eyes,” she says.